LOCAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS provide an opportunity for the top teams in each flight to play off against each other. Depending on the size of the flight and the choices made by the majority of captains, these playoffs may involve the top 4 teams or the top 2 teams.
Flights with five or fewer teams have a two team playoff. Flights with six or more teams have a four team playoff. Team captains may agree, at the start of the season, not to have a playoff or to reduce a four team to a two team playoff. Refer to the LLAR, "PLAYOFFS".
Choices must be made at the start of the season, and reported to the area coordinator or the office staff.
There is a very specific rule in the LLAR governing the notification by the home team of the date and time of the playoff match. This rule is designed to give the away team maximum notice of the match date and time. The home captain is required to offer one date, but if he can offer the opponents a choice of times, that is a wonderful courtesy.
Captains may agree to play a playoff match earlier, but this is a mutually made arrangement. Neither captain can demand it. As always, these arrangements should be confirmed by email, so there is a written record. Once the agreement is made, neither captain can demand a change.
A Two Team Playoff is one final match between the #1 and #2 teams in a flight. It is hosted by the #1 team, and that team names the date and time, within the specific parameters set up by NorCal at the start of the season. For most leagues, playoffs are on a specific weekend. The winner of that match advances to the next level of play.
A Four Team Playoff takes two weekends. On the first weekend, #1 hosts #4 and #2 hosts #3. On the second weekend, the two winners from the previous weekend play each other, hosted by the team that was higher in the final standings at the end of the Local League.
If the flight has a wildcard, (allowing the top two teams to advance) the two captains can agree not to play this final playoff round.
FROM THE LLAR:
Playoffs (Local League).
Eligibility: No individual is eligible to progress to Local League playoff competition unless he/she has played on that same team in at least two matches during the local league season. A forfeited match shall count as a match played for the player(s) receiving the forfeit, but not for the player(s) who forfeited. A retired match shall count for all players involved.
Two teams or four? Or none? There will be a two or four team playoff as defined by the Local League Rules below unless there is a unanimous vote by the captains in the flight to reduce (from a four team playoff to a two team playoff) or eliminate playoffs. This vote should be taken and reported to the NorCal staff at least one week prior to the start of the season.
Flights of five or fewer teams will conclude their local league season with a two team, one weekend playoff. Flights of six or more teams will conclude their local league season with a four team, two-weekend playoff. The format is single elimination, with home court given to the team higher in the end of season's standings.
When? The playoff weekends will be designated by the NorCal League Department. Captains may agree to play earlier but not later. In a two- team playoff, captains use the earlier weekend.
Notifying your opponents: The home team must notify the away team of the date and time of the first round playoff match by the posted deadline. Posting the match date and time on the web schedule constitutes notification. If the playoff scorecard is not yet available on-line, the home team must email the away team, with a cc to the NorCal office, by the posted deadline, notifying them of the date and time.
If the home captain fails to provide his opponent with this information-either by email or personal contact or by web posting- by the deadline, the visiting team may take home court for the playoff match. He/she has four days from the posted deadline to notify his opponent of the date and time of the playoff match. This notification should be by email, with a cc to the NorCal office.
Cooperation between playoff captains in setting up their final matches sets a tone of good sportsmanship between the two teams for those very important season ending matches.
By 9 p.m. on Monday, the day after completion of the first and/or second and/or third round playoff weekend, the home captain must notify the visiting captain of the date, time and location of the coming playoff match.
If the home captain fails to contact his opponent by the deadline given here, he loses home court for the playoff match. If the visiting captain fails to contact the home team by the deadline stated here, he loses the opportunity to take home courts.
updated: 01/11/2012